Jack Wright was the hero of a popular series of Victorian science fiction dime novels and story papers written by Luis Senarens, the so-called "American Jules Verne".Science And Invention, October 1920, "An American Jules Verne" A few stories are also credited to Francis W. Doughty. Jack appeared in original stories from in 1891 to 1896 in 120 novels. He first appeared in The Boys' Star Library No. 216, July 18, 1891, "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor; or, Hunting for a Sunken Treasure".
Senarens also popularized the Frank Reade dime novel series, having taken the reins from Harry Enton (real name Harold Cohen). Jack Wright appeared in Frank Tousey's Boys of New York and Boys' Star Library, and then migrated to Golden Weekly and Happy Days story papers. These stories were later reprinted in the dime novel Pluck and Luck. Jack Wright is one of the so-called Edisonade characters. The stories were reprinted by Aldine in the UK first in the Cheerful Library and then in the Invention, Travel & Adventure Library.
Examples Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor (1891) Jack Wright And His Electric Turtle (1891) Jack Wright's Submarine Catamaran (1891) Jack Wright And His Ocean Racer (1891) Jack Wright And His Electric Canoe (1891) Jack Wright's Air And Water Cutter (1891) Jack Wright And His Magnetic Motor (1891) Jack Wright And His Under-Water Iron-clad (1891) Jack Wright And His Deep Sea Monitor (1891) Jack Wright And His Electric Deer (1892) Jack Wright And His Prairie Engine (1892) Jack Wright And His Electric Air Schooner (1892) Jack Wright And His Electric Sea-Motor (1892) Jack Wright And His Ocean Sleuth-Hound (1892) Jack Wright And His Dandy Of The Deep (1892) Jack Wright And Electric Torpedo Ram (1892) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, Exploring Central Asia (1892) Jack Wright And His Ocean Plunger (1892) Jack Wright And His Electric 'Sea-Ghost' (1892) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, And His Deep Sea Diving Bell (1892) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, And His Electric Tricycle-Boat (1892) Jack Wright And His Undersea Wrecking Raft (1892) Jack Wright And His Terror Of The Seas (1892) Jack Wright And His Electric Diving Boat (1892) Jack Wright And His Submarine Yacht (1892) Jack Wright And His Electric Gunboat (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Sea Launch (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Bicycle-Boat (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Side-Wheel Boat (1893) Jack Wright's Wonder Of The Waves (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Exploring Ship (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Man-of-War (1893) Jack Wright And His Submarine Torpedo-Tug (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Sea-Demon (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric 'Whale' (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Marine 'Rover' (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Deep Sea Cutter (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Monarch Of The Ocean (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Devil-Fish (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Demon Of The Plains (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Balloon Ship (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Locomotive (1893) Jack Wright And His Iron-clad Air-Motor (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Tricycle (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Dynamo Boat (1893) Jack Wright And His Flying Torpedo (1893) Jack Wright And His Prairie Privateer (1893) Jack Wright And His Naval Cruiser (1893) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, And His Whaleback Privateer (1893) Jack Wright And His Electric Phantom Boat (1893) Jack Wright And His Winged Gunboat (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Flyer (1894) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor's Electric Sledge Boat (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Express Wagon (1894) Jack Wright And His Submarine Explorer (1894) Jack Wright And His Demon Of The Air (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Ripper (1894) Jack Wright And His King Of The Sea (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Balloons (1894) Jack Wright And His Imp Of The Ocean (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Cab (1894) Jack Wright And His Flying Phantom (1894) Jack Wright And His Submarine Warship (1894) Jack Wright And His Prairie Yacht (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Air Rocket (1894) Jack Wright And His Submarine Destroyer (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Battery Diver (1894) Jack Wright And His Electric Stage (1894) Jack Wright And His Wheel Of The Wind (1894) Jack Wright And The Head-Hunters Of The African Coast (1894) Jack Wright And The Wild Boy Of The Woods (1894) Jack Wright Among The Demons Of The Ocean (1894) Jack Wright, The Wizard Of Wrightstown And His Electric Dragon (1894) Jack Wright's Electric Land-Clipper (1894) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, And His Phantom Frigate (1895) Jack Wright And His Air-Ship On Wheels (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Roadster In The Desert Of Death (1895) Jack Wright's Ocean Marvel (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Soaring Machine (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Battery Car (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Sea Horse (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Balloon Boat (1895) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, Working For The Union Pacific (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Air Monitor (1895) Jack Wright And His Electric Submarine Ranger (1895) Jack Wright And Frank Reade, Jr. (1896) Jack Wright, The Boy Inventor, And The Smugglers (1896) Jack Wright And His New Electric Horse (1896)
Bibliography
Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 27, 1895, "Jack Wright's Dandy of the Deep" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 29, 1895, "Jack Wright's Electric Gunboat" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 31, 1895, "Jack Wright's Ocean Sleuth-Hound" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 33, 1895, "Jack Wright's Electric Sea Launch" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 35, 1895, "Jack Wright's Electric Torpedo Ram" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 37, 1895, "Jack Wright's Magnetic Hurricane: Exploring Central Asia" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Cheerful Library Vol. 3 No. 39, 1895, "Jack Wright's Search for Captain Kidd's Gold" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 170, "Jack Wright's Electric Sea Demon" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 174, "Jack Wright's Trip to the Land of Gold" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 206, "Jack Wright's Submarine Catamaran; or, The Phantom Ship of the Yellow Sea" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 214, "Jack Wright's Electric Canoe in the Revenue Service" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 222, "The 'Sky Rocket', Or, Jack Wright's Cruise to Ceylon in His Electric Air-Schooner" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 225, "Jack Wright's Electric Sea Launch, or, A Desperate Cruise for Life" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 230, "Jack Wright's Dandy of the Deep, or, Driven Afloat in the Sea of Fire" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 233, "Jack Wright's Electric Torpedo Ram; or, The Sunken City of the Atlantic" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 237, 1903, "Jack Wright's Search for Captain Kidd's Gold" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 238, 1903, "Jack Wright's Electric Torpedo Ram; or, The Sunken City of the Atlantic" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 241, "Jack Wright, and His Electric 'Sea-Ghost;' or, A Strange Under-water Journey" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 242, "Jack Wright's Under-water Wrecking Raft; or, The Mystery of a Scuttled Ship" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 245, "Jack Wright's Wheel of the Wind; or, The Jewels of the Volcano-Dwellers" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 257, 1904, "Jack Wright's Electric Roadster in the Desert of Death" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 261, 1904, "Jack Wright's 3,000 Pounds of Gold" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 262, 1904, "Jack Wright and the Loss of the 'Gipsy Queen'" by anonymous (Luis Senarens). Aldine Romance of Invention, Travel & Adventure Library No. 265, 1905, "Jack Wright's Flying Phantom; or, Saved from the Scaffold" by anonymous (Luis Senarens?) Boys of New York, The No. 888, 1892, part 1, serialized "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor and the Smugglers of the Border Lakes; or, The Second Cruise of the Whaleback 'Comet'" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys of New York, The No. 906, 1893, part 1, serialized "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor, and His Phantom Frigate; or, Fighting the Coast Wreckers of the Gulf" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys of New York, The No. 940, 1893, part 1, serialized "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor, Working for the Union Pacific Railroad; or, Over the Continent on the 'Electric'" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys of New York, The No. 967, 1893, part 1, serialized "Jack Wright and His Electric Air Monitor; or, The Scourge of the Pacific" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 216, July 18, 1891, "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor; or, Hunting for a Sunken Treasure" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 220, August 15, 1891, "Jack Wright and His Electric Turtle; or Chasing the Pirates of the Spanish Main" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 223, September 12, 1891, "Jack Wright's Submarine Catamaran; or, the Phantom Ship of the Yellow Sea" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 227, October 17, 1891, "Jack Wright and His Ocean Racer; or, Around the World in Twenty Days" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 229, October 31, 1891, "Jack Wright and His Electric Canoe; or, Working in the Revenue Service" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 231, November 14, 1891, "Jack Wright's Air and Water Cutter; or, Wonderful Adventures on the Wing and Afloat" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 235, December 12, 1891, "Jack Wright and His Magnetic Motor; or, The Golden City of the Sierras" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 238, January 2, 1892, "Jack Wright, the Boy Inventor, and His Under-Water Iron-Clad; or, The Treasure of the Sandy Sea" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 241, January 23, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Electric Deers; or, Fighting the Bandits of the Black Hills" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 246, February 27, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Prairie Engine; or, Among the Bushmen of Australia" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 253, April 16, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Electric Air Schooner; or, The Mystery of a Magic Mine" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 257, May 7, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Electric Sea-Motor; or, The Search for a Drifting Wreck" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 262, June 18, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Ocean Sleuth-Hound; or, Tracking an Under Water Treasure" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 266, July 16, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Dandy of the deep; or, Driven Afloat in the Sea of Fire" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens). Boys' Star Library, The No. 271, August 20, 1892, "Jack Wright and His Electric Torpedo Ramo; or, The Sunken City of the Atlantic" by "Noname" (Luis Senerens).